Friday, February 3, 2012

The fingernails don't lie

With 11 years of lupus under my belt, and a chronic control spread sheet to go along with it, I tend to have a pretty good handle on when I'm in "good health" and when I'm not. Thankfully, I've had many more healthy trends than not - so I haven't had much to track in the old spreadsheet as of late. But one thing I was keeping my eye on was my weight. When I get sick - I tend to lose my appetite. And with no appetite, comes weight loss. And last fall, I was losing weight. Not a ton - more than 5 pounds, less than 15 - but it was significant enough that I noticed. And my pants noticed. And most importantly, my parents noticed. And when they notice, I have to sit up and listen.

So I did. I mentioned it to my doctor, and we watched it carefully. We kept my appointments close together so that he could monitor things frequently. And I kept an eye on my symptoms, which, thankfully, were non-existent. There was no joint pain, no swelling, no increased protein at all. There was absolutely no sign that lupus was a foot. Just the weight loss.

And the nails.

Turns out, my fingernails weren't growing either. It wasn't that they were growing and peeling, or breaking, or chipping...it's just that they weren't growing. At all. And this coincidence has happened before - in fact a handful of times. If my body's not well, my nails tend not to grow. And when my body is well - my nails grow steadily.

So now - mid-winter, there's good news across the board: my appetite has returned, my weight is making its way back to normal, and my nails are going strong. Not sure if I could ever prove the connection - but I'm not so sure I need to. I think running with a hunch is just fine for now.

Of course, if my nails have earned a line item on the spreadsheet...well, then...I guess they've "arrived", haven't they?

6 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Sara, you truly hit the nail on the head! For our family members with chronic illnesses,both young and older, the finger and toe nails and nail beds have been a consistent indicator of good or poor underlying health. Likewise, the rate of hair growth, loss of hair, etc have also been telltale signs, even before we had a confirmed medical diagnosis. We have learned through these body indicators to trust our eyes and our instincts, even if physicians do not initially share our concerns. Our bodies often send strong signals, and we are learning to be very open to receiving those signals. Catherine

Hi Sara! This is my first post. I too have lupus along with Scleroderma since the age of 15 and I'm 44 now. I too have lost a tremendous amount of weight. I struggle to keep myself above 90 lbs. To keep my weight up, I drink a lot of Boost Plus which has 340 calories & 8 grams of protein per 8ounces. I drink about 6-8 of them per day & they really help!! My nails benefit also. They are long and very strong. Hope this post helps a bit. Love your book and this site!! Thanks so much! Jill

Oh, the hair most CERTAINLY doesn't lie! I'm sure we'd both agree that, above anyone else, we know our bodies best. Learning to watch for those signals, accept them as facts, rather than just happenings to brush aside, can take some time. But from my personal experience - now that I'm in the habit of being self-aware, it makes the process of cluing in my doctor that much easier!

Thanks for your comments, Catherine!

And JillyB - thanks for commenting! Great tips on the Boost Plus - I bet that protein helps a lot. I find myself craving protein (and milk) quite often - so I try and listen to my body to give it what it needs. I suppose the real challenge is fueling it, even when our appetites are non-existent! Hope to hear from you again!

Hi Sarah! I also have lupus and I have noticed that my nails are not growing. My finger and toe nails get really thick and when I clip a piece of nail away, I am left with a big build up of nail jammed What is interesting is my only other issue right now is my weight. I can't keep any weight on and went from 115 to 97 in a month and have been fighting to get back above 100. I would love to keep in touch because I think we could have a similar case and could help each other by sharing as time goes on. Thanks for reassuring me that I'm not imagining my nail symptoms like everyone else tries to convince me.

Polished, shellacked, gelled or sparkled–many of us rarely see our nails in the nude. But what happens when the paint comes off? Do your nails hold up in the buff? Well ladies, it’s time to strip down and find out.No Miss Antifungal Fungus Killer

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Sara Gorman

In 2001, I was diagnosed with systemic lupus, at the age of 26. I had been married less than 6 weeks and was at a highpoint in my career in television production. While I fought to keep hold of the life I'd known - demanding, yet fulfilling career, busy social life, packed vacation schedule - after four years of running my body into the ground, I realized I was fighting life, not living it. Thus, I downshifted almost every aspect of my life. I let go of my career and made it my number one priority to get myself back in good health. I'm proud to say that I've reached my goal, but work each day to maintain that healthy lifestyle. despite lupus. My book details the steps it took to reach that goal. A native of Indiana and graduate of the University of Notre Dame, I reside in Alexandria, Virginia with my husband, two young daughters, and pug dog.